Boris Johnson: Euro is a ‘calamitous project’

The Euro has shown itself to be "a calamitous project" and Britain has prospered outside it contrary to the warnings of leading economists, said Boris Johnson.

With EU politics increasingly consumed by projects to establish closer union between the eurozone states, the Mayor of London believes "we can no longer pretend that this country is at the heart of Europe".

Mr Johnson was appearing at an event in London's Docklands, during which he also said he wanted Britain to have a looser relationship with the EU, which is "boiled down" to membership of the single market.

Britain should pull out of EU-wide social policies, fisheries agreements and other unnecessary bureaucracy, he said.